former president of south africa jacob zuma Police is in custody. Police spokesman Liranju Themba confirmed this on Thursday night. Zuma had previously announced through his foundation that he wanted to start the 15-month prison sentence awarded by the country’s constitutional court. was convicted.

Zuma had disobeyed orders to testify in a corruption investigation earlier this year during his nine-year term and was convicted for it. Indeed, he should have started his prison sentence on Sunday. However, Zuma refused and said on Sunday that he did not consider it necessary “for me to go to jail today”. He would have been threatened with arrest by the police if he did not go to jail by midnight on Wednesday.

Zuma is currently facing a commission of inquiry on various charges of corruption. The allegations had already been leveled during his tenure from 2009 to 2018. His own party, the African National Congress (ANC), Juma Hadi Urged to resign due to corruption and nepotism. The 79-year-old denied alleged wrongdoing and accused investigators of taking political action against him.

Zuma earned a reputation as a crusader against apartheid, including spending ten years in prison Nelson Mandela In Robben Island Prison. He later fled into exile before returning as a politician after the end of apartheid. This is the first time that a former president of the country has been sentenced to prison.

Since Zuma cannot appeal the decision, the former president applied on Friday to set aside the court’s decision. On Saturday, the court ruled to reconsider the decision in a hearing on July 12.